SIR, Thank you for the article highlighting the proposed heathland flailing and the adders on Beacon Hill. My last-minute email to Natural Resources Wales (NRW), the Gwent Wildlife Trust and the Monmouthshire Beacon had the desired result, but was only to support David and Jane Lucas, who spent the whole of the day before the proposed flailing collecting signatures for a petition and informing people of the devastation that was due to happen. Without their knowledge and hard work, Beacon Hill would look very different today. If the outcome of this is a cohesive and broad-visioned management plan which maintains the heathland and the wildlife through a group of interested people, it will be a very positive step forward. The only sad fact is that we all thought Gwent Wildlife Trust were actually interested in, and were caring for the site jointly with NRW; it would appear that this is not the case, judging by their non-intervention in the proposed flailing. Jess Rabjohns (Monmouth)